A Promise Fulfilled: New Sinjar Hospital Handed Over to Iraqi Health Officials

This week marks a historic milestone for the people of Sinjar. Nadia’s Initiative (NI), in partnership with project owner La Chaîne de l’Espoir, and with support from the Government of France, completed the construction and full equipping of the new hospital in Sinjar, known as the Sinjar French Medical Center (SFMC). The facility was officially handed over this week to the Iraqi Ministry of Health and the Nineveh Health Directorate.

The hospital was built to the highest standards and equipped with advanced medical technologies, many of which are being introduced to the region for the first time. Its medical staff are also receiving training led by La Chaîne de l’Espoir to ensure the highest quality of care when the hospital opens in the coming months. An official opening ceremony is expected in the near future, marking the start of a new chapter for healthcare in Sinjar.

The hospital’s completion fulfills a promise made in 2018, when French President Emmanuel Macron met with Nadia Murad in Paris. During that meeting, Nadia urged France to help rebuild her native Sinjar following ISIS’s campaign of genocide and sexual violence against the Yazidi people. Moved by her call, President Macron pledged to support her vision for a hospital that could serve survivors and families returning home – a commitment that became the foundation of the SFMC. The project serves as a powerful example of what survivor advocacy, international partnership, and sustained collaboration can lead to when aligned around a shared vision.

For Yazidi women, the SFMC will be transformative. During and after ISIS’s occupation, women in Sinjar endured the unthinkable – abduction, sexual violence, displacement, and the loss of loved ones – alongside the total collapse of essential health services. Beyond access to care, the hospital represents a step toward restoring dignity and rebuilding the social fabric that ISIS sought to destroy.

The handover of the hospital marks a new phase in restoring dignity, health, and hope for Yazidis and for all families across the region. It reflects what becomes possible when survivors lead and the world stands with them in solidarity.